Kaede

"I could feel someone watching me, though... I never felt in danger." - Traveler of the Maternia Jungle The sprawling Maternia Jungle is a land inundated with vitality and mysticism. Home to countless exotic species of magnificent wildlife, any person residing in this wild land shares a deep connection to the natural world. For Kaede, The Soaring Spirit, this fact is quite literally personified. Born a nobleman's son in the Yalnor Kingdom, Kaede felt perpetually out of place. A self-prescribed misanthrope, he set out at a young age in search of the kind of isolation only nature can provide. His sojourn ultimately landed him in the Maternia Jungle, where he experienced a peace he'd believed impossible to attain. This was his new home. Jungle life was harsh, but Kaede was resourceful, eventually constructing a lean-to among the boughs of a massive tree. He wasn't alone, as directly across from him lived a great harpy eagle and her offspring. Though initially wary of her new neighbor, the mother eagle quickly warmed to him after he left the occasional pile of grubs for her fledglings to enjoy. Kaede was beyond content, feeling more connected to the jungle each day. Until the intruders arrived. Seemingly overnight, swaths of the jungle were cleared for resources and timber, with exotic animals being poached along the way. Kaede scouted the defilers, quickly surmising they'd come from Yalnor. Rage built within, as it appeared he could not escape the opulence and greed of a life he'd left behind. Though not a fighter by nature, when the intruders set their sights upon the eagle's tree, Kaede knew he must act. Descending to the forest floor, he placed himself in front of the men, selflessly challenging them. He received an arrow to the shoulder for his defiance, his cry prompting the great harpy mother to descend and attack the men. Tragically, both were cut down in the skirmish, their blood mixing together in the soil of the jungle floor as the fledgling eagles wailed with sorrow above. Then it happened. So powerful were the events surrounding Kaede's death that a great light burst forth, blinding the intruding men as a new figure towered over them, prompting their retreat. The spirits of Maternia had granted Kaede a second-chance life to serve as the jungle's ultimate protector. An entity that soars between life and death, The Soaring Spirit remains vigilant to this day, ready to rally the forces of the jungle against any evils that arise.